From l'Cie to Goddess
by LightofaNewDawn
Summary: What exactly happened to Lightning after she disappeared?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first fanfic, hope I did okay.**

**And man, I wish I could come up with something more creative. The idea popped into my head while I was doing homework. So I guess I'll just see how it goes. ****And cut me some slack – I'm new to the fanfic world (I just started reading these a few weeks ago) so I might make a few mistakes…okay, maybe a lot. Don't judge me!**

**This takes place after Final Fantasy XIII Episode I – The Promise. So Lightning had wandered into this blob where time was shapeless. This is basically what happened after that.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Square Enix, nor any of the characters, plot lines, etc.**

* * *

><p>It had been years since our ordeal as l'Cie. The time we shared together was a time we truly found each other. When we had finally discovered what we needed to release from ourselves to be free.<p>

That time was lost. My time to bask in freedom has been far too short. I am dissolved into time. But I am not under an ordeal anymore.

I was afraid at first. I had walked out of the darkness and into the light. I was in a palace. Everything was glistening crystal. Feathers floated down from the heavens. Time still felt like liquid. I didn't know what to think.

_Lightning Farron._

The voice was sweet and impossibly soft. It was coming from the shrine across the hall. Something told me I didn't need my gunblade out. I walked up to the shrine, completely afraid.

"Who's there?" I asked, tense.

_I am Etro, goddess of balance. I have heard your pleas, Lightning._

"What pleas? I didn't ask for anything."

_I understand you are seeking the revival of your friends._

My heart skipped a beat in hope. "Can you bring back Fang and Vanille?"

_They still sleep as l'Cie. Their time to complete their true Focus is yet to come._

I stiffened. "What are you talking about? They became Ragnarok and crystallized Cocoon! Isn't that their Focus?"

_Fate is a curious thing, Lightning Farron. The fal'Cie planned more for them. Cocoon is at peace for now, but there is no Cocoon in the future. Chaos will rule lest they remain in crystal sleep._

I felt a scowl grow on my face. "So basically, there's no way to save them from their fate?"

_If that is what you truly desire...I may be able to awaken them. But it comes with a price, Lightning._

"I'm listening, Etro."

_I am in eternal sleep in this dimension. Right now, we are in between life and death, the same place where l'Cie rest as crystals._

"So this is where we came in crystal stasis…but does this mean…I'm dead right now?"

_You are in…limbo, as you mortals would say. Lightning, I will release you on a quest to find your friends. Find them in this land and bring them to me. I will then return you to the world of life._

"That will be no problem. I'll find them."

_Young warrior, your quest will be perilous and the results come with consequences. There is another undying warrior god seeking a similar goal. He is seeking to protect his time plane, the future. In it, Cocoon has fallen and the world is being eaten away by chaos. He seeks to destroy the cause of this tragedy and to protect his fate. The cause of this is the liberation of your friends._

I couldn't believe it. Waking up Vanille and Fang would do that much damage to the timeline? Then I remembered. I stood in unmoving time, the past, the present, and the future. And I had changed my fate as a l'Cie. I could change it again.

"So, what can I give you in return for blessing me?"

_During your quest, you will encounter enemies beyond mortal comprehension. Only a divine being or crystallized l'Cie will be able to survive outside the safety of my gaze. And my gaze only goes so far out._

"So how am I supposed to find Fang and Vanille?"

_You will become my protector, Lightning. A warrior of equilibrium. You will join my knighthood and be given celestial power. You shall protect my legacy until you complete your quest. If you fail to remember that you fight under my name, your divinity will disappear and your journey will end._

"You…can't be serious."

_Lightning, what I fight for is for the balance of life and death. If you agree to my knighthood, you are agreeing to protect peace._

Protect peace…wasn't that what Serah wanted? I would become a goddess. A warrior undying. Perhaps…it was possible to accomplish. After what felt like ages of thinking, weighing the benefits and possible terrors, I gulped and stood a little straighter.

"I…accept, Goddess of balance. Awaken me to your power."

A warm light enveloped me. My Guardian Corps uniform disappeared and was replaced with glowing armor. It was bathing me in a refreshed sense of courage and hope. A sash of feathers blanketed my left leg, a symbol of my promise to Etro. My blazefire saber dissolved into a shining new gunblade. It flashed like lightning with the smallest movement of my wrist. I sheathed it and kneeled down before the shrine. I understood what I had to do. Protect Etro, find Fang and Vanille's crystal spirits, and return to the real world.

_Sleep in peace, Divine Etro. I will stand guard over your legacy._

I stood up again and turned around. Every step, I felt the power flowing through my veins. I am a goddess. I am undying. I am on a mission to save the future. Feathers flew down around me, the blessing of Etro hovering around me. I stopped at a balcony, and I took in a sharp breath. I could see years flashing by in an instant. And I could see them. My allies. The ones who went through the sufferings as a l'Cie with me. My heart swelled as I watched them grow up and die right before my eyes. That was what I was fighting for.

I unsheathed my sword again, flicking out the deadly blade. It flashed and sparked, releasing a flurry of white feathers, symbolizing my new power. I was going to free Vanille and Fang. I was going to bring them home. I was going to reunite my family. _Our_ family.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Are you still reading? *blink* I must be doing pretty decent. I always loved writing, but I was nervous about starting to write fanfics…I freaked out so much for the first chapter. Just bear with me, I'm still a little shocked that I'm actually writing these. Never thought I was this obsessed with Final Fantasy. Anyway, here we go to meet Noel. Reviews will be much appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: You already know I don't own this...**

* * *

><p>I stepped out into a shapeless mass of land. It was a rocky plane of absolutely nothing. But I could feel days, years, and centuries flying past me. Time was everything here, yet it was nothing. Limbo was very…interesting.<p>

I noticed a boy on the ground a distance away. Hurt. I rushed to him like my namesake. _Already trouble? Great._

I noticed he had just recently been run through by a sword. The wound radiated a godly power. I smiled grimly to myself. Time to put these powers to work. I placed my hand over his abdominal, feeling an energy rush to my fingertips. It was stronger than the power of a l'Cie. The boy's wound slowly closed up. He gasped as he began to breathe again.

"You're lucky you weren't lying here any longer. Otherwise, you'd be on your way to the world of the dead," I muttered.

He looked up at me. "Where am I…?" he whispered.

"This is the world between the living and the dead," I answered. It felt strange explaining. I had just learned all this stuff myself. "Tell me, are you in crystal stasis?" His clothes were very tribal, like Vanille and Fang's. Maybe he knew them…

"No…I'm not a l'Cie." The boy sat up with difficulty, gasping as he . "I'm…the last of my kind."

Last of his kind? "What are you talking about?"

His eyes suddenly flashed desperation and pain. "I was the last one…I grew up with everyone dying around me. It seemed pointless to even try living. Death was everywhere in my life. But then I realized he rose again. Caias. I had to keep my life going. He couldn't be the last person living on Pulse."

_Caias. _That name sparked something in my head. "Are you from Cocoon? Or Pulse?" I asked.

"Pulse, of course. Why would I be from Cocoon? Isn't it…didn't it vanish years ago?"

* * *

><p>I had tended the boy and sheltered him close to the palace. His breathing was getting labored.<p>

"So…you're from the past, aren't you?" the boy asked.

I grunted. "It's the present to me. So in the future, there's no Cocoon?"

"It had been gone for years…and so I'm assuming…you must be from the time after the fall?"

I nodded. "I'm Lightning. From Cocoon."

The boy's eyes widened. "Lightning…you mean…are you Lightning Farron? The lost hero?"

I frowned. "How do you know my name? And what are you talking about?"

"The story of your journey with the other five l'Cie is legendary. An old folktale, in fact. They say…you disappeared right after the fall. Vanished as if you never existed."

I felt a sense of dread inside me. "Vanish?"

"Yes. So this is what happened to you…" the boy murmured. "You became a goddess. Who'da thunk." He sounded so much like Vanille, I almost scoffed.

"Does that mean…I failed?" I pictured them all, waiting for me to return home. "I didn't return to the real world?"

"This time plane combines all time periods, right? Both the living and the dead?" the boy asked. "Here, time is everything, and yet there is nothing. That means…so far, you didn't change things completely yet. But now you can. Here…in this land. Please, Lightning…change things. Change the future."

A lump formed in my throat. Etro's words echoed in my ears. _Cocoon has fallen and the world is being eaten away by chaos. He seeks to destroy the cause of this tragedy and to protect his fate. The cause of this is the liberation of your friends._ To think…that what I will eventually do might endanger the future. But then again, the boy was right. All time is combined in the land of limbo. There was an opportunity to change things.

"Say, you're not planning on staying here, are you?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"I figured…maybe I could escape to the past to find a way to stop him. Caias, I mean."

Perfect. "Then I'm giving you a plan…uh…"

"Noel."

"Noel. My sister…she must've been worried. I want you to visit my time period. But three years after the fall." I chose that specifically, so at least she would've been settled in by then. "I cannot leave this dimension as a guardian of Etro. So go to my sister. Tell her I'm still alive. I'm waiting for her. And I miss her." I couldn't believe my voice cracked, but I swallowed and tried to keep my composure. "Leave Caias to me. Find my sister. Her name is Serah Farron, or Villiers, depending if she got married. Just find her and bring her here for me. Please."

Noel looked at me first in disbelief, then slowly nodded. His eyes were looking directly at mine. "I will. I promise."

I thought for a second, then held out my hand. I prayed to Etro. _I need to give something to my sister. To assure her. Please, Etro. What can I do…_

Something fabricated in my hand. Something small, adorable, and perfect for Serah. "A moogle," I breathed. "Thought they didn't exist…"

"Hello, kupo! My name is Mog. I am a wielder of magic, guardian of time, and I will protect your sister," it declared.

I held Mog out to Noel. "Bring this to Serah. This will be her lucky charm. Knowing Serah, she will not be far from the crystal of Cocoon. Find her. Tell her I'm very much alive. Tell her not to lose hope."

Noel reached for Mog, but then the moogle flew out of my hand. I just noticed its tiny, bat-like wings. "Let's go, kupo!" it chirped.

I waved my hand. _Open up a gate to the living world. _An intricate gate of gold and silver appeared, pulsing with energy. It glowed like the sun. It was a time gate, radiating pure, raw power. These goddess powers were going to take some getting used to.

"It will take a journey through many of these to reach this land once again," I warned. Something in my guts told me that. "But I will be waiting."

"Lightning…I need to warn you. Caias is after anything that destroyed the future. He's after me. And…if you try to change things, he might be after you too. He's coming, Lightning. A beast that cannot be tamed."

I smirked. "That's my problem, not yours. Right now, you have a journey."

"You saved my life, Lightning. And you gave me a new goal. Something to fight for." Noel smiled at me for the first time. "Thank you."

_No, thank you Noel…thank you for agreeing to watch over my sister._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, so this is my own little twist to the plot of FFXIII-2, COMPLETELY unrelated and made-up. Just a little background on Odin, and his relationship to Lightning. Thought it might add a twist. And it might be a bit of a shock, so don't kill me! **

**Must I repeat the copyright stuff?**

* * *

><p>My journey was very fruitless for the first few hours. Or days? Months? Years? Time blurred in this…dimension.<p>

I found to my pleasure that my l'Cie powers have been restored, _without_ the brand. And that meant I could summon Odin again. I had called him, my mind reeling as the feeling of weakness was no longer there. I was divine. I was truly his master now. He wasn't an Eidolon to me anymore, but just an equal.

My crystal had just appeared when I whispered Odin's name, focusing on his power. Once I smashed it open, feeling the golden flow of his raw power, I felt better instantly about agreeing to Etro's knighthood. At the same time, I felt like she had been pretty sly as I saw how my body armor matched Odin's. It was as if I was destined to be the knight to his steed.

I reverted Odin to his horse form, and we traveled through shapeless space for Maker knows how long. Exactly how do I look for Fang and Vanille? Not like I had any leads.

_What troubles you, master? _I jumped at the sound of the deep, rumbling voice in my head. Like thunder. Oh, the corniness of it.

"Odin…" I murmured. "You finally speak."

_I am now permitted to, since you are now a goddess. And quite an intimidating one, at that. Your armor impresses me._

"Shut that…_snout _of yours," I scoffed. "I'm only going to be like this until I find Fang and Vanille. Then I'll return the blessing and bring them home."

_Lightning…I was once a mortal, as are you._

"You…a mortal? How…?"

_I had also wandered to Valhalla, summoned by Etro. _

"Valhalla? So that's the name of this place?"

_Yes. I was knighted by Etro, after completing my Focus._

"Focus? You were a l'Cie?"

_Yes…Sanctum l'Cie. You are familiar with my mortal name…I had once been called Cid Raines._

I stiffened instantly. Suddenly, I made the connection between his voice and…_Cid Raines…he's…_

_It's nice to see you again, Lightning. It has been a while…_

I instantly jerked my legs into his flank, making him stop. I dropped off his back, then instantly lashed out at him. A single bolt of lightning prevented me from making impact.

"You…you're Raines?" I gasped. "I trusted you, _Cid_…"

Odin shook his mane, snorting. _Hear me out, Lightning. I am just another victim lost in this futile battle…_

I huffed. "Make it quick."

_After I crystallized, I faded into…sleep, I suppose. I wandered in this shapeless mass…then appeared here in Valhalla. The place of crystal stasis, land of lost time and chaos. But I was beyond that. My crystal body no longer existed. I was inches from death._

_Etro summoned me, though. She said I had an important destiny to fulfill, even if my human life was over. She knighted me, same as you. I served under her for a while, and soon led her knighthood. I was king of the Knights of Etro. I was gifted with a divine body, and I became Odin._

_At one point, you will remember I had not been dead. I had been watching the grand prix in Eden when you and your allies returned to Cocoon. I had asked Etro to grant me time back in my body once more. So I may…take care of unfinished business. Rydgea shot me, then I returned to being Odin._

_However, Etro was displeased at the chaos that I created as a result of my death. Bahamut, Alexander, Hecatonheir, Brynhildr, and the Shivas had angered Etro as well. She deemed us unworthy of her knighthood. We were placed into the union of Eidolons, servants of l'Cie._

_You are one of many l'Cie I served through time and space. I am now technically as old as time itself. When your brand called to me, I could feel your frustration and anger. I could relate to that. I knew my master was to be a worthy one. And then…you proved yourself to me. From then on, you know I answered your call._

_In that battle to fight my mortal l'Cie form, Cid Raines, you summoned me…it was a very strange feeling. Because I knew that form of me was full of frustration and anger, as you were before. I was attacking myself. But I obliged, knowing I was fighting a part of me that needed to die away. Again and again, I fought against what I formerly believed was right. But once I arrived to this land, I had discovered the truth. The reality of my descent to this dimension was pure destiny._

"What truth did you discover?" I asked.

_The battles we fought against Pulse l'Cie…they had spiraled us into an endless cycle of fear and Purge. But now, I found this spiral of death is from futile efforts to hide the Sanctum's fears. I learned the truth of the Purge. I cannot believe I blind I was. But now, I reign as an Eidolon to your call._

I turned this over in my head. So Raines had a new motive? "You're not blood-thirsty for Pulse l'Cies anymore, are you?" I questioned tentatively.

_That time of my life is over. I am no longer Cid Raines. I am Odin. I am your Eidolon. And I am very honored to serve you, Lightning. You have no idea how much I care for you. How much I wish to protect you._

Odin and Cid Raines did not go together in my head. I couldn't think of them as one and the same. "I suppose then…I don't mind," I grumbled.

Odin shook his mane in pleasure. _Then let us continue forward. You have a quest to accomplish, do you not?_

I mounted Odin again, and he began a brisk trot. Then something crossed my mind. "So Odin, if you aren't Raines anymore, if you wanted to, is it possible to go back?"

I felt him stiffen. _That part of my life is over. Rydgea shot me, so I am deemed dead. My fate rests here now, serving you on your quest._

"Odin…it _is_ possible to return to mortal state after divinity, right?"

…_Lightning, that is something beyond my knowledge to answer._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: If you're still reading, I gotta say, I'm really impressed. Thought that people wouldn't bother to read a noob's work. Haha, I felt so awesome getting my first reviews. =3 Thanks!**

**Now here's where we meet mystery purple man Caias. Didn't know whether to make him old-fashioned or all smooth talk…oh well. Guess we'll see where my brain goes.**

* * *

><p>Maybe it's just the fact that Valhalla is mostly dark, empty space, but being a goddess was far from exciting.<p>

Odin and I continued onward through shapeless time, obviously for what could've been a milisecond or ten years. I missed the real world where I actually knew how much _time _had passed. And...how old was I? If Odin is as old as time itself...am I still twenty-one? Or am I twenty-four? Tch. Being a goddess is _so _much fun. Knight in shining armor, galloping on her trusty steed timelessly. Fun.

Until we finally reached a barren landscape, that is. City ruins could be seen in the distance. The sky was gray, and something about the air sent shivers down my spine. I halted Odin.

"A little ominous, isn't it?" I noted.

_I would not be surprised if our luck turned unpleasant._

I sensed a battle coming. The wind picked up, and I felt another presence. I gripped Odin's blades a little tighter.

_A foreign presence…a being from the past…_

My senses heightened. This wasn't Odin's voice. The voice felt like…Bahamut. But this wasn't like the cry of the friendly, flying Eidolon I had seen come to Fang's call so many times. This voice was darker, like claws scraping against stone.

_She wields Odin's blade…her existence is godly…so much potential...such a pity that she cannot rule this land…_

"Who's there?" I demanded.

A swirl of purple smoke appeared, radiating the same energy I felt from Noel's wounds. A man stepped out, clad in tribal clothing like Noel. But much more intimidating and godly. This was undoubtedly the man Etro had warned me about. I just knew it.

"You," he snarled. His voice was a deep baritone, cold and calculating.

"Nice to meet you too," I snorted, narrowing my eyes.

"You are the one. You had ruined the future. You had contradicted the timeline. And because of your actions, the future is in chaos!"

"Heh. I didn't do anything, O mighty god. And who are you?" I asked.

"I am Caias, warrior god from what you know as the future." The man scowled. "And you seem holy and divine yourself."

"Pleasure. Name's Lightning. I don't take fancy to flattery. Might as well shut it."

"And so we shall address each other as we were destined to." Caias reached for his sword hilt.

"And address each other we shall," I muttered. "You talk like my Grandpa Farron, you know that?"

"Silence! Battle is a wordless warfare. Words are useless, but every flash of the blade pushes your opponent further toward Death's door. Remember that, _Lightning._"

I gritted my teeth. "Do. Not. Say. It. That. Way. Ever. _Again."_

"Warrior goddess…" Caias drew out his sword, revealing a smoking red stone in the hilt. It gave off red energy, magic activating. He yanked it out, brandishing the weapon heavily shrouded with purple magic. "Now we cross swords!"

I smirked, getting off of Odin, handing him his blade. I lashed out my own gunblade, slender but bright and silvery in comparison to Caias's sword.

He wasted no time charging at me, eyes blazing with fury. My blade was up in an instant, blocking his. It pulsed with energy, but I knew I had my own power. And I was fighting for my home too.

I directed flashes of lightning at Caias, trapping him in a tornado of electricity. But he emerged only with the slightest singe in his long hair.

"Is it peacekeeping to battle?" Caias taunted. My blood turned ice cold. He knew my intent. We had the same goal - to protect our families and time periods. In my moment of hesitation, he swirled his sword around, flying at me. It was so inhuman…but then again, he was a god.

_Get a hold of yourself, soldier! Don't think, just do! _I gripped my hilt, charging the silvery blade with sparks of frenzy electricity. My gunblade was a blur as I lashed out at the man. "(1) Invoke my name. I am Spark!" I felt triumph to feel my blade hit his skin, twisting around the man and blindsiding him. I summoned another deadly lightning bolt, this one charged with so much energy, it flashed pure white.

My battle cry matched the roar of thunder. My sparking blade hit home with a satisfying _crack_, and with another white-hot flash of electricity, Caias was hurled against the ground, creating cracks on the surface.

I strode over to where Caias's limp body lay. "I fight by my will to protect what I love. This battle is over."

I turned around, feeling victorious. One obstacle down, and one step closer to finding Fang and Vanille. I sheathed my gunblade, and strode over to Odin.

_Lightning, he still stirs._

"Huh?" I stared at Odin. "I just beat the crap out of him. He shouldn't be able to move a thing."

"It is only the beginning," a cruel voice grumbled. "And Lightning, I have things I wish to protect too." I whipped around to see Caias standing again, wounds gone and energy restored. How…?

"Lose yourself in battle and rejoice!" Caias leapt and pounded a threatening wave of energy into the ground, directed at me. I pounced, flying over him and landing swiftly behind him, gunblade unsheathed while I was in the air.

"Impressive."

I rose from the ground, crouched in battle stance. "Save it," I snarled. We whipped around and crossed swords, sparks flying. I knew this was going to be a long fight.

After all, in a dimension that is timeless, a battle could last eternity.

* * *

><p>(1) This is what's written on Lightning's original Blazefire Saber, in Cocoon script.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Last one, since I don't want to wander too far from the info released about XIII-2 (I'm just like that.) Very short, but I hope it makes you as anxious for Final Fantasy XIII-2 as I am. It's been fun making stuff up from all the trailers. Hope I did okay…and thanks for reading through my first fanfiction!**

**For everything in this fanfiction, including the stuff I pulled from the trailers, all belongs to Square Enix.**

* * *

><p>My wounds were healed, but not my spirit.<p>

I had failed.

I looked around at the barren wasteland. It was all to become a reality soon. I finally realized what it was.

This badland was the future of Pulse.

I closed my eyes in shame. No point in continuing forward. I had failed my quest. I was no longer worthy of being a warrior of Etro.

Would I be cursed to becoming an Eidolon for eternity, like Odin? I didn't know.

I walked into the amorphous space until I reached a small stream, with a waterfall. My heart ached as I realized it resembled a small pond that we had found Hope passed out by. I thought about the young, platinum haired teenager who always looked up to me with scared, emerald green eyes. _Wonder how he turned out, _I thought tenderly. Wherever he was, I was positive I could be proud of him.

In fact, I was sure I could be proud of all of them, Fang and Vanille included. My fate was uncertain, but I never wished to see them so much more than that moment. Even Sazh, my naggy but concerned and caring father figure. Even Snow, my annoying maybe brother-in-law who had made my sister so happy.

I cleared the saddening thoughts from my head and took out my gunblade, unsheathing it to its full sword form. It was intricate, with etchings honoring Etro carved on it. I dipped it into the stream, closing my eyes. _I am not worthy of this blade, Etro. Forgive me._

Feathers flooded out from the sword, disappearing down the stream being fed into emptiness.

_My dear Lightning. You did not fail me. This sword belongs to you. Do not turn away my gift. Honor it._

I blinked away a tear, then took out the blade. The etchings about Etro disappeared, with a single new one instead. _My call is thunder and my blade is light. I wield power for the peace of what I treasure. Let those who interfere meet the tip of my sword. _It was a reminder. A reminder that I still had things to fight for.

So I knew I had to do one more thing.

* * *

><p>I stepped out of the pulsing energy, trying to comb over what I was going to say in my head. <em>Just tell them the news, then leave to the union of Eidolons.<em>

And I braced myself for what I was facing.

Serah.

She had not changed much. She was now wearing a white and pink dress, and I could see Mog and Noel by her side. My heart throbbed, and I couldn't help the tears I felt in my eyes. My younger sister…it was bad enough I had lost her during my ordeal as a l'Cie, when she turned to crystal. Seeing her at the same age I was during the l'Cie days, I realized I had missed three precious years of her life. I blinked back my tears, bracing myself for the question I knew she'd ask.

_"Lightning? What are you doing here?" Serah's voice was so joyful…I felt a pang of guilt in my chest._

_I gave her a grim look, covering up my sorrow with my usual indifferent expression. No holding back._

_"This is the future…that I could not save."_


	6. Chapter 6 extra

**A/N: **Okay, I KNOW that I said I'd be done with this. But after watching the New Adventures/Change the Future trailer, I just had to write this. Maybe this will be the last one…maybe not. What do you think? (Watch how no one answers my question .)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Square Enix.

* * *

><p>"<em>Lightning? What are you doing here?"<em>

"_This is the future…that I could not save."_

I tried to keep up my wall, but I soon felt myself melt into a frown. Not my usual emotionless type, when I was just annoyed or mildly unhappy. It was a genuine, regretful frown.

Feeling that…_strange _expression on my face, I tried to resume my stoic look and laid a hand on Serah's shoulder. "Just listen Serah. I'll explain everything."

I strode past her and Noel to face the ruins of New Bodhum. The unalterable fate of the precious world the Cocoon citizens were supposed to cultivate. This was…what it was to become. This is what I couldn't protect.

"Lightning…?" Serah walked up behind me. I could sense her presence right behind my back. She had matured. It was easy to tell.

"Listen to me, Serah," I said. "This…is the fate of Gran Pulse. In this time plane, Cocoon has fallen. It completely destroyed everything."

"What? So…you couldn't save it?" Noel asked.

I shook my head and sighed, staring at the bleak ruins. "Noel…_I'm _the reason. I'm the one who…caused this."

I could picture Serah's eyes widening in disbelief. "No…Lightning, this can't be you! How could you have destroyed Cocoon and Pulse?"

"I'm…sorry, Serah. I – "

A flash of light behind me. I gasped and turned around. Walking out of a time portal manifested behind Noel was a tall young man with silvery hair, messier than ever. His shining green eyes widened when he looked at me. "Light…is that you?"

"Hope…?" I had to fight to keep the tears back. This grown man could not be Hope.

"Lightning…" Hope walked up to me, staring at me as if he were in a dream. When did he get so tall? He was Noel's height, surpassing me by a few inches. "After ten long years, I finally get to see you…"

"…Y-you've grown." That was all I managed to sputter.

He gave a shy smile, the same one I had once seen on the face of a young teenager. "I'm twenty-four, now. Am I finally older?"

I smiled sadly, biting my lip to force it to stop trembling. The emerald green eyes were undeniably Hope's. This man is what that small, torment-filled teenager had become. Ten years…

I pulled Hope into an embrace, his frame no longer small and fragile. I didn't need words to express how I was feeling. All this time I had missed watching him grow up…

Another portal formed, this time producing a blonde man with a black trench coat. Even though his hat was gone, I could tell who he was. The one person I wanted to hug and punch at the same time.

"Sis!" he hollered, rushing up to me. He grabbed me out of Hope's arms and into his, crushing the air out of my lungs. "You're alive!"

"I won't be if you keep suffocating me," I gasped. I twisted his arm and elbowed him away, slapping his face for good measure.

"Still the same Lightning, I see." Snow smiled as he rubbed his red cheek.

"And still the same Snow," I retorted, feeling a smirk on my face. Well, it was the closest to a smile I've ever gotten in a long time.

One more time, the light wavered and manifested someone else. A green pilot's coat and a familiar afro.

"It's been too long, Soldier girl!" Sazh smiled, walking out of the time portal.

"Way too long," I agreed. But then I realized that this Sazh must be from the time period right after Cocoon. He wasn't any different than I remembered him. Even that little chocobo was still nesting in his hair. It twittered at me, then dove back into Sazh's head.

All of them were here. In front of me. For the first time in a very, very long time. "Why…how…?"

"I traveled through a time gate." All three voices said the same thing.

"Wait a second…" Hope looked at Snow and Sazh, then at Serah and Noel. "We're all from different time periods, combined into one time plane. This is going to cause – "

"A major paradox?" I asked. "Don't worry, Hope. I'm trying to keep this plane as stable as I can."

Snow's eyes widened. "You can do that?"

"Let's just say…I'm not a l'Cie anymore, but I'm not exactly human either."

"Then what are you…?" Serah asked.

"She's a guardian of Etro, a Valkyrie of time," Noel said.

"A _what?_" Snow scratched his head. "Are you saying she's a goddess?"

"_She _can hear what you're saying," I snapped. "But technically…I guess you could say that. I _am _a guardian of Etro."

"A guardian of a deity is considered divine," Hope said in awe. "Light…you're a goddess."

"So _this _is what happened to soldier girl?" Sazh said.

I hung my head. "I'm…not a goddess. Not anymore, anyway."

Five voices went, "What?"

"I failed…to save everybody," I admitted slowly. "The reason I went to Valhalla was to free Vanille and Fang. But…my victory came with a sacrifice even Etro could not control. Cocoon fell. Without Vanille and Fang to support it, Cocoon crashed into Gran Pulse and created destruction in its wake. The crystal's magic was enough to completely shatter all the fal'Cie in the world. Once that happened…everyone began dying. That is Noel and Caius's time. Now, I'm doomed to an eternal service as an Eidolon, like Odin is."

"No…you can't be!" Hope shook his head furiously. "That can't be right!"

"Cid Raines. Do you know what happened to him?"

Silence.

"He became Odin. He's been serving as an Eidolon for practically as long as time has existed. He had failed Etro's wishes, and is now to be an Eidolon forever. I'm soon to be trapped under the same fate."

"Wait, did Etro ever _tell _you that?" Serah asked.

The frustration and sadness in me was overwhelming my power. I couldn't tie together so many time planes at once for long. "I'm sorry, guys," I whispered. "I'll have to let you go."

Sazh frowned at me as he began to fade back to his time period. "You _will _come back, won't you Lightning?"

"I hope so." And Sazh vanished.

"Lightning, promise me. Promise you'll return one day," Snow demanded.

"I can't promise, but I can't be -" He faded before I finished talking.

"Light…come home." Hope looked at me regretfully, disappearing to his time plane. "Please, make things right."

"Hope...I…" And he was gone.

I couldn't keep myself in the "real world" any longer either. My friends had come and gone, without any comfort to offer.

I turned around and began to walk away into a time portal back to Valhalla. I had given them fake promises that I couldn't fulfill. What was I going to do?

"Hey, Lightning…we'll be able to be together again, right? When all this is over?"

I stopped at Serah's voice. She had her back to me again, since she was now facing New Bodhum. I gave one final glance back, masking my doubt with a very small smirk.

"One thing at a time, Serah."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Okay, I know it's weak! But I just felt like posting it. And if I get really bad reviews, I'll just take it down, I suppose.


End file.
